Goals: To estimate and compare the direct medical cost in the management of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection and its complications from the perspective of public health organizations in Hong Kong and Singapore.
Background: Hong Kong and Singapore are endemic hepatitis B virus areas with about 10% and 5%, respectively, of the population estimated as hepatitis B virus infected.
Study: The medical histories of 660 patients with CHB who received medical services over 5 years from three major public hospitals in Hong Kong and Singapore were studied retrospectively. Costs were analyzed according to the five disease states and estimated in Hong Kong dollars (HKD) and Singapore dollars (SGD).
Results: In both Hong Kong and Singapore, the per-patient total annual cost increased with the severity of the disease. CHB cost HKD 6318 (US 810 dollars) in Hong Kong and SGD 718.15 (US 410.37 dollars) in Singapore. Compensated cirrhosis cost HKD 10,304 (US 1321 dollars) in Hong Kong and SGD 1,175.34 (US 671.62 dollars) in Singapore. Decompensated cirrhosis cost HKD 58,428 (US 7490 dollars) in Hong Kong and SGD 15,389.84 (US 8794.19 dollars) in Singapore. Hepatocellular carcinoma cost HKD 121,822 (US 15,618 dollars) in Hong Kong and SGD 12314.04 (US 7036.59 dollars) in Singapore. Each case of liver transplant was estimated to cost HKD 514,498 (US 65,961 dollars) in Hong Kong and SGD 86,369.28 (US 49,353.87 dollars) in Singapore. CHB in Hong Kong accounted for about 4% of the healthcare expenditure.
Conclusion: This study confirms that CHB and its liver disease complications are a significant economic burden to the healthcare budgets of Hong Kong and Singapore, and indicates that effective therapy that arrests or reverses the progression of liver disease would be highly cost-effective.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00004836-200411003-00004 | DOI Listing |
Nat Mater
January 2025
Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.
Machine learning algorithms have proven to be effective for essential quantum computation tasks such as quantum error correction and quantum control. Efficient hardware implementation of these algorithms at cryogenic temperatures is essential. Here we utilize magnetic topological insulators as memristors (termed magnetic topological memristors) and introduce a cryogenic in-memory computing scheme based on the coexistence of a chiral edge state and a topological surface state.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBehav Res Methods
January 2025
Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences and Department of Psychology, University of Macau, Taipa, 999078, Macau, China.
The autobiographical implicit association test (aIAT) is an approach of memory detection that can be used to identify true autobiographical memories. This study incorporates mouse-tracking (MT) into aIAT, which offers a more robust technique of memory detection. Participants were assigned to mock crime and then performed the aIAT with MT.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Youth Adolesc
January 2025
Department of Social Work, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Considering the potential detrimental impact of poverty on psychological development and the resulting harmful cycles, implementing poverty alleviation interventions is necessary for children and adolescents. Although several meta-analyses have demonstrated the effectiveness of monetary poverty reduction programs, there remains a significant gap in understanding how multidimensional poverty reduction strategies boost psychological development. This meta-analysis aims to address this gap by disclosing the impact of multifaceted anti-poverty interventions on the psychological development of children and adolescents.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
January 2025
Division of Dentistry, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
This study aims to evaluate the effects of the home bleaching method on the surface microhardness and surface roughness of both polished and unpolished CAD-CAM resin composite materials. A polymer-infiltrated ceramic network (PICN) block, Enamic (VE), along with four resin composite blocks (RCB) (Grandio [GN], Lava™ Ultimate [LV], BRILLIANT Crios [B], and Cerasmart [CS]), were prepared to dimensions of 14 mm × 12 mm × 2 mm and were categorized into unpolished and polished groups (n = 4). Microhardness measurements were conducted using a Vickers microhardness tester (300 gf load for 20 s) at various time points: before home bleaching, after home bleaching with 15% Opalescence for 8 h and for 56 h, 24 h after bleaching, and one month after bleaching.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNPJ Sci Learn
January 2025
Department of Psychology, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Statistical learning is a core ability for individuals in extracting and integrating regularities and patterns from linguistic input. Yet, the developmental trajectory of visual statistical learning has not been fully examined in the orthographic learning domain. Employing an artificial orthographic learning task, we manipulated three levels of positional consistency of radicals, i.
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